How can a knock out change your life
Chapter 25- Come on out now, baby!
Because Helen chose to stay in Seattle with Meredith and Derek and take care of Sandy until Meredith would get into the maternity leave, they didn't hire a nanny for Sandy. Meredith was now in her last days of pregnancy and because of Derek's busy schedule at hospital, Helen was still in Seattle, to be there for Meredith just in case.
Sandy became very impatient and every day she sent Meredith to hospital, so that she could meet her little sister sooner. Each time Meredith and Derek tried to explain her that it wasn't the time yet, but each time Sandy frowned and went to play alone ignoring everybody for a while.
Helen and Meredith tried to keep her busy, brining her in kitchen as help, taking her out in park, while in the evening Derek was spending his free time with her: fishing or telling her stories. Nothing from all these could keep her busy long enough.
Meredith was now 3 days before her due date and as Sandy was becoming more nervous than before, as nervous Meredith was becoming.
It was morning when Meredith received a phone call from Derek. After a short talk, she hung up smiling. "Addison gave birth to her baby boy." She announced Helen and Sandy who were in living room with her.
"Already?" Helen asked surprised. They had received another phone call from Derek earlier telling them that Addison was in labor, so now she was surprised to see how fast her labor passed.
"Yeah." Meredith smiled with some worry imprinted on her face as she rubbed her big bump. "I hope I will be as lucky as her."
"No matter how the labor will go, at the end of it, when you will hold your daughter in arms, everything else will be forgotten." Helen moved next her on couch and rubbed her arm as comfort.
"Promise?" Meredith asked her with distrust same as Sandy was doing when she was looking for some encouragement from her.
"I promise." Helen smiled confident.
Sandy was living room drawing down on the coffee table when the phone rang. As she heard Meredith's announcement, she sighed disappointed and returned her attention over her paper and crayons.
Meredith and Helen smiled at each other when they saw her reaction. It was an anticipated reaction considering how anxious she was to meet her sister. For Sandy, all these seemed as if her sister was refusing to come out on this world and she was suffering a lot because of the waiting.
"We should get ready to go and visit them." Meredith suggested. Helen approved with a nod and helped her up.
They saw Sandy bent over her draw motionless and without showing any intention of following them.
"Sandy?" Meredith called her.
Sandy refused to look at her. "I am not coming!" She muttered furious.
Meredith sighed and kneeled down beside her. "Sweetie"
"I don't want to see him." Sandy burst angrier almost yelling at her. Her reaction shocked the two women.
Meredith saw tears forming in Sandy's eyes, so she decided not to argue her. She took her face in her hands and turned it to her. She looked into her eyes smiling and then kissed her forehead. "Our baby will be up soon! I promise!" Meredith told her tenderly. "She can't stay in there for too long. Just try to be patient."
Sandy nodded slowly from her head. She shifted on Meredith's legs and as she leaned her body against her, she caressed the big bump. She made large circles through the navy sweater as her small palm ran over it. "I don't want to see him now." She muttered sadly.
"Sandy" Meredith stood up and sat down on couch. She pulled Sandy to her and hugged her. "Addie will be very disappointed if you won't come with us and see her baby. Why don't you want to come?"
"You could play with her baby until yours will be birthed." Helen said as attempt to make her feel better.
"I don't want to play with him! I want to play with my sister." Sandy showed her stubbornness as she burst nervous once again.
"That's enough, Sandy!" Meredith yelled at her when she couldn't stand her attitude anymore. She pushed her away from her and holding her by her arms, she looked at her serious. "What's with this behavior? You are acting like spoiled child and I don't like this at all."
Sandy froze when she heard her mother yelling at her and stayed quiet unable to say anything back.
"If you don't want to see Addie and the baby, it's ok, but you still have to come with us at hospital." Meredith lowered her voice and stood up. "You should get dressed now!" She told her and then she walked out.
Sandy watched her leaving and then she looked worried at her grandma. Helen smiled as she came to her and taking Meredith's seat on couch, she brought Sandy to her. "That wasn't nice of you, Sandy and your mother is right! It's not nice to yell at persons older than you and it's definitely rude not to go and see Addie. She will be very disappointed if you won't go."
Sandy's face expression changed from sad and angry to guilty. "I'm sorry I yelled!" She muttered silently.
"I know you are sorry and you should go now and apologize to your mother too!" Helen smiled tenderly at her.
Sandy nodded and left after her mother.
Meredith's bedroom door was closed, so Sandy opened it slowly. She pushed it a little and sneaked her head inside to see what her mother was doing. Meredith was nowhere to be seen, but Sandy could hear some noises coming from her dressing room. She stepped inside letting the door half-open and climbed up on a chair.
Meredith had changed her trousers with a pair of jeans and put on some boots before she returned in bedroom. When she came back, she stirred noticing Sandy's presence there.
"When did you enter here?" She asked her smiling almost forgetting about her bad behavior from earlier.
Sandy smiled shyly and shrugged. She climbed down from chair and ran to her. Hugging one of Meredith's legs, Sandy put her head on her bump. "I am sorry I yelled, mommy!" She said.
Meredith smiled and pulled her away from her legs. She took her face in her hands and smiled at her. "I forgive you!"
Sandy smiled more confident this time. Then she let out a sigh and looked around her as if she was waiting for Meredith to get ready.
"Don't you want to change your clothes?" Meredith asked her. Sandy was wearing a pair of pink trousers with a white top imprinted with pink bunnies and a pair of white snickers.
Sandy smiled as she shook her head.
Meredith could see Sandy wasn't fine yet, so she sat down on a chair and held out a hand for her to come. Sandy took it and landed in her mother's arms. "Now tell me why don't you want to go and meet little Josh?" Meredith asked her. Addison and Mark had chosen to name their baby Joshua and for Sandy's pleasure, they named him Derek too.
"Because." She answered simple. This time she brought back her sad face.
"Come on, Sandy! We always talk about all kind of things; now tell me why don't you want to meet Addie's baby?" Meredith asked her patiently.
Sandy sighed and remained quiet looking down at her feet as her back was leaning against Meredith.
Meredith gave her a few moments to come with the answer, but when she saw she didn't show any intention to speak, Meredith spoke up again. "Sandy?"
Sandy sighed again and then she turned around to her mother. "Mommy?"
"What is it?"
"Mommy, do you think that people will love Jessie less now that Josh was born first?" Sandy asked her.
Meredith looked at her confused and for a few moments she got quiet trying to process the meaning of Sandy's question. "Sweetie, are you afraid that people will love Jessie less now that Josh was born first?" Meredith asked her still confused, but amused in the same time.
Sandy nodded reluctantly.
"Sandy" Meredith laughed as she took her face into her hands and pressed a strong kiss on her forehead. "It doesn't matter how much the others will love your sister. The most important thing will be how much her sister and parents will love her."
"I will love her." Sandy stated innocent.
"I am sure you will." Meredith giggled. "I have no doubt."
"Mommy?"
"Yes, Sandy."
"I want the people to like our baby."
Meredith understood now her reaction from earlier. She had put her baby sister and Addison's baby in competition.
"And mommy?" Sandy needed to mention more.
"Yes." Meredith waited curious to find out what other fear her daughter had.
"Don't say Josh is pretty."
Meredith shook her head laughing. She picked her up and placed her on her leg. "Josh is pretty, because all the babies are pretty and people won't love Josh more than they will love Jessie. Do you know why?" Meredith asked her, but Sandy answered with a puzzled look. "Because Josh is a boy and Jessie will be a girl; so Addie and Mark have now a beautiful baby boy and we will have a beautiful baby girl."
Sandy smiled brightly and all her worries from earlier faded away. "But why doesn't Jessie want to come out?" Her cheerful face lasted a second. That's how long it took her to remember that her sister was late to come.
"She wants to come out and she will. She will be out in 3 days." Meredith explained her and showed her in the same time 3 fingers. "This means just 3 mornings left until then."
"That's long, mommy!" Sandy whined discontented with that number.
"It's not that long, Sandy!" Meredith smiled as attempt to calm her down. "Maybe it will be less than 3 days. Now it depends on how hurried she is to come out."
"Really?" Sandy asked her with excitement and Meredith nodded. Sandy leaned down to Meredith's bump and sticking her lips on it, she whispered. "Come on out now, baby!"
Meredith laughed as she heard her. "Let's not push her, ok!"
"I can't wait to see her, mommy!" Her voice trembled of emotion.
Right in that moment, Meredith felt a hit in her tummy. "I think she can't wait to meet her too." She said to Sandy as she took her hand and put it on her tummy. Sandy kissed her sister again through Meredith's bump.
"You are so silly, sweetie!" Meredith laughed as she caressed her head.
"Me?" Sandy asked her.
"Yes, you."
"I am not silly." Sandy frowned.
"Sometimes you are, but don't worry because I love you even when you are silly." Meredith leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Sandy giggled and hung on her neck pressing a kiss on cheek. "I am not silly." She continued with the giggle and the kisses.
Meredith laughed harder under Sandy's kisses and pulled her back into her arms. "You are a sweetheart."
"I am a sweetheart." Sandy laughed back and jumped from Meredith's arms.
"Go and put some nice clothes on you, ok? We need to make a good first impression to Josh." Meredith urged her.
Sandy nodded and ran out from Meredith's bedroom.
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When Sandy walked out of elevator, she was holding Meredith and Helen's hands, but as she saw her daddy on hospital's hallway, she ran from them shouting after him.
"Daddy" Derek reacted fast at her first shout, so she soon landed in his arms. Derek picked her up and spunher in air.
"How's my girl doing?" Derek asked her after he settled her in his arms.
"I came to see Josh" and as she said that, her smile slowly started to fade away.
"What's wrong?" Derek asked her worried when he saw her sudden change.
Meredith patted her tummy as answer and Derek understood. "You can play with Josh until Jessie will join us."
Sandy nodded, but she didn't do it very confident.
"Let's see Addie and the baby!" Derek said carrying Sandy in his arms. He came over to Helen and kissed her cheek and then he went to greet Meredith. "How are you feeling?"
"Nervous" Meredith smiled. Sandy passed her impatience to meet her baby sister to Meredith also.
Derek smiled and kissed her before he led them to Addison's room.
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Derek knocked slowly at Addison's room and without waiting an answer, he sneaked his head inside to see if they could come in. Just that as he did that, Sandy, who was still in his arms, pushed the door open so that she could see inside also.
"Addie" She squealed when she saw Addison in bed with Mark by her side and the baby in her arms.
"Shh" Addison and Mark made a gesture to keep her voice down.
"Sorry guys." Derek whispered as he walked inside with Sandy, Meredith and Helen.
Unfortunately for them, little Josh didn't like Sandy's excited voice and started crying with all his lungs.
Addison smiled slightly at them letting them that it was ok and brought Josh upper to her chest. She rocked him slowly and luckily, he went back to sleep right away.
"He is noisy." Sandy winced covering her ears while Josh was screaming.
Derek chuckled as he took on of her hands away from her ear to kiss her. "You will have to get used with loud screams." Sandy looked at him worried unable to understand the meaning of his warning.
"Should we come back later?" Meredith asked Addison.
"No" Addison shook her head. "Our families are here and we won't be able to make a step inside later."
"They gave us a break, so I guess that you can stay for a minute." Mark stated earning a light slap from Addison. Mark rolled his eyes and stood up to let Meredith sit down next to Addison.
Meredith walked over and before she sat down, she smiled at Mark. "Congratulations, Mark!"
Mark winked and pulled her into a quick hug. Mark wasn't a very nice guy, but Meredith was part of his life now, such as Addison and Derek were.
Meredith giggled at his uncommon gesture, but she didn't say anything to him in tease. She took the seat he had offered her next to Addison and looked at the little man who was now sleeping in his mother's arms. "Can I hold him?"
"Sure" Addison held out the baby so that Meredith could take him.
Meredith settled him in her arms and rocked him slowly not wishing to disturb his sleep again. "He is precious, Addison! Congratulations!"
"Thanks Meredith!" Addison put her head down on Meredith's shoulder to be watch her son closer.
"He is mine… of course he is precious!" Mark bragged. "Ain't I precious?"
Everyone looked at him with pity for his need to be complimented.
"Actually I think he has Addison's features." Meredith stated. She couldn't tell for sure with who Josh looked-like, but she found it cute to make him jealous a little.
Mark sniffed and decided to ignore her comment knowing what she was trying to do.
Derek put Sandy on Addison's bed and then he sat down.
Sandy crawled to Meredith and sat on her lap to give a closer look to the baby. Now that she had him in front of her, Sandy could not help but smile and touched him with if fear. She looked up at her mother first as is she looked for her approval, so when Meredith smiled nodding, Sandy touched his little hand and with a lot of care she held it. "He is pretty." Because everyone in there was talking in whisper, Sandy whispered too. She could no longer hide her thrill to see Addison's baby. Her jealousy from earlier was now all gone.
Meredith and Derek smiled at each other happy to see her so happy.
Sandy let his hand go to be able to touch him more. She ran her hand gently over his body visibly amazed to see such a little man. When Meredith caressed his forehead, his hat slipped of his head a little, so she rearranged it back on. While her mother did that, Sandy giggled and stated a bit louder than before. "He has no hair."
Everyone chuckled at her cute observation. "He will have hair soon." Meredith said.
"What color?" Sandy asked her.
Meredith looked at Addison for some help. She hadn't had the chance to see much of him yet. "Blonde?"
"Yes." Addison confirmed with a nod. "He will have his daddy's hair." She smiled brightly at Mark.
"Ok, because I don't like the boys with red hair." Sandy stated looking back at Josh.
"We know you are very pretentious now when it comes to boys." Derek laughed.
"I broke up with Benny." Sandy stated without taking her eyes from Josh.
"Who?" Derek looked confused at Meredith.
Meredith smiled. "She met him in park last week. I thought I told you."
"You did, but I think that you omitted to tell me that he was her new boyfriend." Derek snapped at her nervous.
"Calm down, Derek! She is 5… they are kids! There's nothing serious going on." Meredith smiled trying to calm him down. Since Sandy's birthday party, Derek was strict each time that Sandy told him about what new friends she made, especially about the boys.
"What happened with Eric?" Derek asked Sandy. Eric was the one he knew as her 'boyfriend'.
"I like Eric." Again, Sandy answered without looking at any of the grown-ups around her. "But Benny threw with sand in me, so I only Eric now."
"Smart girl!" Addison kissed her.
"Smart…" Derek jumped up of bed stunned by what he had heard. "You only have Eric now?" He snapped at Sandy. "And you are calling her smart?" He looked reproaching at Addison and then at Meredith "And you are saying that I should calm down?"
"Derek, keep your voice down!" Mark slapped his back nervous.
Derek realized he was indeed a little too loud, so he took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
"Meredith, she needs to know that it's wrong to be with more than one boy. Is this what you and your friends are going to teach our daughters?"
"I am so glad I have a son." Mark laughed at the trouble that Derek was forced to confront with.
"Derek, she is still young, you don't need to be worried about her right now." Meredith said.
"I am not worried for now, I am worried for later, Meredith!"
Meredith and Derek weren't arguing, but from their grave voices, Sandy could tell that something serious was going on with her parents. Therefore, she didn't care about the baby that much and moving down between Meredith and Addison, she looked at her parents trying to figure out if something bad was going on.
"We will talk with her about this at the right time, Derek. She doesn't even know what a boyfriend means." Meredith told him.
"To me, the right time seems now!" Derek stated firmly.
"He is right, Meredith." Helen interfered. "She might not know about all these now, but she will grow up with this in her mind."
Meredith didn't reply. It was cute and funny to see her 5 years old daughter dealing with boy problems, but she understood how bad this might become for Sandy later.
"I don't think I want a boyfriend anymore." Sandy muttered. She seemed to have understood what her parents were talking about and what she hated the most was to see them arguing.
Derek smiled proudly at his daughter and leaned to her to kiss her forehead.
"You will want one when you will grow up, now you can only be friend with them." Meredith told her. "Do you want to hold Josh a little?"
Sandy shook her head and smiled at her. "I want to hold Jess first." She stated earning a couple of 'awws' from the others.
Derek could not resist and picked her up in his arms. "That's my good girl!" He kissed her and gave her a strong hug.
Sandy giggled happy with all the love that Derek was offering her in that moment.
They didn't stay there for long, because Josh had started fussing, so Mark threw them out. Sandy refused to leave at first, but after Meredith assured her that she would stay with her baby sister as much as she would want, she gave up and left with them.
Meredith proposed to do some shopping for Sandy and for her baby sister and Sandy could not be more thrilled than that. Derek couldn't leave from hospital, so Meredith and Sandy left to shopping only with Helen.
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That evening, Sandy fell asleep during her bedtime story and Helen was already in her bed.
It had been a long and exhausting day for Derek at hospital and Meredith's wasn't easier … Sandy took care of that with her passion for shopping… so soon after Sandy, they drift off to sleep too.
About an hour later, Meredith woke up with sharp pains in her abdomen. She didn't panic because she knew what those were.
"Derek" She whispered as she started shoving him. "Derek, wake up!"
Derek rolled over to her side sleepy and confused. "What is it?"
"I think I am in labor, Derek." Meredith answered taking deep breaths to attenuate to pain.
"You are what?" Derek almost yelled and jumped out of bed.
Out of nowhere, Sandy opened the door and walked inside. "Mommy?" She looked at her smiling. She didn't even look as she had just woken up and though Meredith didn't make noise, Sandy seemed to know what was going on.
"Sandy, what are you doing up?" Meredith asked her, while Derek was pacing around the room nervous trying to figure what he was supposed to do next.
"I had a dream, mommy!" Sandy came running to her bedside. Then she saw the pain from her mother's face. "Mommy?" she looked at her worried.
"You dreamed your sister, didn't you?" Meredith asked her laughing.
"Yes" Sandy smiled too.
"I guess that soon you will see her for real." Meredith winced as another contraction hit her. She took a deep breath after the contraction passed and looked down at Sandy. "Why don't you go and kick your daddy to calm down and then go and wake up grandma?"
Sandy giggled. "I go wake up grandma." And as she said that she turned around and ran out of their bedroom.
"Derek?" Meredith called Derek, who was still pacing back and forward. He stopped and came to her.
"Does it hurt badly?" He asked her worried.
"Derek, helped me out of bed." Meredith knew she wouldn't be able to count on Derek's help, so she decided to help herself. Derek helped her up and with difficulty Meredith started to put some street clothes on her.
Derek tried to help her with those, but he was too nervous to do it right so he became a pain in ass for Meredith.
Helen came to them together with Sandy and helped Meredith get ready. While Helen helped Meredith, Sandy went to stay with her daddy. Sandy's calm was soon transferred to Derek too. "I will take mommy to hospital and you will stay here with grandma, ok?"
"No! I want to come with you!" Sandy protested. Her sister was about to come out and she needed to me there and greet her. "I am coming with you mommy." She looked at Meredith when she saw Derek's disapproving look.
"Let her come, Derek! She won't be able to sleep anyway." Meredith told him. "But you need to get dressed first."
The contractions weren't that bad and the water hadn't broken yet, so Meredith was able to stay and wait until everyone got ready. They were about to get out on door, when Sandy remembered something and stopped them. "Wait" She ran back upstairs and in a second she returned downstairs with a small bag. Her present for her baby sister: a baby doll with Jessica's name embroidered on it.
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I have two more chapters and then the sequel will be up. Thank you so much to those who stayed with me until now and I also thank you to those who posted comments.
The next chapter should be up in two days or so.
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